Dumping-grate.



No. 662,||8. Patented Nov. 20, I900.

E. GIBSON. DUMPING GBATE.

(Application filed Jan. 27, 1900. (No Model.)

"UNITED STATES EDWARD GIBSON, OF JERSEY CITY, NEWV JERSEY.

DUMPlNG-GRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,1 18, dated November 20, 1900.

Application filed {l'annary 27,1900. Serial No. 2,982. (No model.)

To (0Z7 whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD GIBsoN, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dumping-Grates, of which the following is a specification.

My dumping-grate is constructed in sections mounted on two independently-rocking shafts extending transversely of the furnace. The grate-surface is made in sections extending forward and back ward in the furnace and connected detachably to the rocking shafts, one set on the front shaft in the front portion of the furnace and another set on the rear shaft in the back portion. Each is constructed with the back portion or that in rear of its supporting-shaft longer and heavier than the front portion, so that it will assume by gravity a horizontal position, resting by its rear edge on a fixed cross-bar.

So far as yet described the invention has been before known and is much approved.

I have devised an improvement in the construction which conduces to strength. I construct the shaft with tenons, each of rectangular section and slightly tapered, which eX- tend up at the proper distance apart, and I form each section of the grate with a socket of correspou ding size and form,which matches upon one of such tenons, one grate-section on each tenon. I provide a transverse hole in each, and when the section is in place secure it by a key inserted through such holes and lock the section against being ever lifted off or even lifted at all by the considerable force to which they are sometimes subjected in being rocked.

In what I esteem the most complete form of the invention I make the shafts each in two parts, held together with bolts, and make the tenons as well as the section removable. Such construction makes it easy to exchange the tenons or to modify the form of one or more when required for any reason, as to match a new lot of grate-sections. The bolts perform a double function by both holding the parts of the shaft together and holding the tenons detachably.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and represent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section with the front portion of the grate in side elevation. The longitudinal section is on a plane a little within the right-hand side'of the furnace. Fig. 2 is aplan view of thegrate with a horizontal section of the brickwork. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the grate, showing a modification. The two rear sections are shown in the act of being du inped. The remaining figures show details which apply alike to the principal form and to the modification. Fig. 4- is a longitudinal section of a portion at and near the mid-length of one of the grate-sections. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the shafts with the sections and the tenons removed. Fig. 6 is afront view of the same-with the tenons restored. Fig. 6 shows one tenon alone. Fig. 7 is a front view of the shaft witha vertical section of the grate-sections in position for use. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the trunnions and the immediately adjacent portions of one of the shafts cast integral therewith. Fig. 9 shows a modification. It is a perspective view of the entire shaft with its tenons cast integral therewith.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

A represents the masonry walls bounding the furnace.

B represents bearers which support the ends of the rocking shafts.

0 represents stationary cross-bars which serve as stops to receive the rear ends and support the sections in a horizontal position.

D D are the shafts, having trunnions D, supported in notches in the bearers and provided each with a long arm D with suitable pivoted connections 13* for dumping them.

D D, &c., are tenons extending upward from the shaft. Each tenon is slightly tapered and is formed with its projecting portion reduced by an offset, which will be explained farther on. Its lower portion is grooved horizontally, as indicated by d, to partially receive a transverse bolt D and is also provided with a transverse hole d at a higher point to receive a key D Each shaft is made of east-iron or other material adapted to endure the conditions and is equipped to allow the tenons tobe exchanged. One part D of the shaft is adapt,- ed to match along one side and the bottom, and the other part D matches along the other side of each tenon, being held together by bolts D. If the bolts become burned and corroded, so that the nuts cannot be removed when it is desired to remove the tenons for any purpose, the bolts can be cut off and new ones supplied with little labor or cost.

E represents the sections of grate, each mounted detachably on the shaft by means of a socket e, formed in its under side a little forward of the central line,engaging wit h a corresponding tenon D Each tenonD and each socket e is of rectangular sectiomand these are tapered to match each other. After a section is dropped into place, receiving the proper tenon D in its socket e, a key D is inserted, extending through the socket and the tenon. The key may be an ordinary split key or even a stout wire. In either form it can be reliably retained by bending the metal after it is in place. The connection is snificiently iirm to allow the section to be tilted by acting on the arms D by any suitable connection, so as to partially turn the shaft in its bearings, and any tendency of any section to work upward by being choked with clinkers or from any other cause is resisted by the keys.

It is important that the connection shall be sufficiently easy to allow any one or more of the sections to be removed with facility by simply removing the key or keys D and lifting it or them when required. The webs E on each side of each section E extend continuously from one end to the other of the section. These webs form sides of the sockets e, and also are of such depth that they rest on the shaft D and constitute stops to prevent the section from sinking too low on the tapering tenon. They insure that when the socket is more expanded by heat than the tenon, and the parts afterward become equalized in temperature, they will not become too tightly engaged to allow the sections to be lifted olf by suflicient force when required.

The tops of the tenons D which project above the shaft D, are small enough to allow space between each and the next to receive two webs which constitute the adjacent sides or Walls of the sockets e in two sections, but the portions of the tenons which are held in the shaft are wider and nearly or quite touch each other. The bolts D, received in the nearly semicylindrical grooves cl,perform two functions, one the holding of the parts D D of the shaftstiffly together, so that they serve as a unit, and the other the locking of the tenons, so that they cannot be lifted by any force while the parts are in position. The

keys D inserted each through the holes in the sides of a socket e and through the corresponding hole (Z in a tenon, also hold the sections reliably, but with great facility, for

removing any section when desired, it being only necessary to straighten the bent key D and pull it out to set a section E free, and it can then be lifted off and exchanged without disturbing any other part.

The ainspaces e in each section, which are provided for the passage of air upward through the section, extend crosswise. Such may, if preferred, extend exactly parallel to the shaft, but I prefer to arrange them obliquely, as shown. There is an advantage in a dumping-grate of this kind in having these apertures extend either directly or crosswise instead of extending longitudinally of each section, because in the act of dumping the grate and in the redistribution of the fuel from the other part of the grate after dumping and in all sliding movements the fuel is moved forward or backward. By reason of the transverse arrangement of these apertures each particle is for only a brief period over any aperture. Transverse apertures are particularly advantageous in burning fine fuel on any grate which rocks backward and forward like mine.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. The tenons D may be of greater or less distance apart, taking care to provide grate-sections E of corresponding width. The tenons may be wider or narrower. It is essential that there shall be a sufficient space between the projecting portion of each tenon and the next to allow two thicknesses of web in the removable section to intervene, one extending along each edge of each section and giving strength thereto at the point opposite the socket e, where the section would otherwise be weak.

Instead of two of the rocking shafts D there may in long furnaces be more. I prefer always an even number and connect the arms D of the first and second and of the third and fourth. Fig. 3 shows such an arrangement.

Parts of the invention can be used without the whole. Instead of making the tenons D removable I can cast them in one with the shaft. Fig. 9 shows such a modification.

I claim as my invention- 1. Grate-sections E each provided with a four-walled socket in combination with a rockshaft D provided with tenons D separate from one another and projecting above the upper surface of the rock-shaft into said sockets, substantially as described.

2. Grate-sections E each provided with a fou r-walled socket in combination with a rockshaft D provided with tenons D separate from one another. and projecting above the upper surface of the rock-shaft into said sockets, and with means as the bolts D and keys D for engaging and releasing any section when required, substantially as herein specified.

3. A grate composed of socketed grate-sections and a rock-shaft joined to said sections by tenons separated from one another and projecting above the upper surface of said sockets on the bottoms of the grate-sections and detachable both from the rock-shaft as from the grate-sections, substantially as described.

JC. A rock-shaft composed of end pieces pro vided with trnnnions, side pieces bolted to each other and to the end pieces, and tenons separated from one another so as to enter sockets in the grate-sections set between said side pieces and projecting beyond the upper edges thereof, substantially as described.

5. A grate composed of two or more sets of socket-ed grate-sections and independentlytnrned rock-shafts, the sections of each set being joined to their shaft by tenons sepa- EDWARD GIBSON.-

Witnesses:

AARON FRANKENHEIM, FRANCIS H. BACHERT. 

